Whiffletree-hook.



Patented Oct. I0, 899.

0; H.fw. RELYEA.

WHIFFLETREE HOOK.

(Application filed Feb. 10, 1899.

. (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE,

CHARLES H. w. RELYEA, on NORTH ADAMS, MICHIGAN.

WHIFFLETRQEE-IHOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No.1634=,835, dated October 10, 1899. Application filedFehruary 10.1399. Serial no. 705,194. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Beitknown that I, CHARLES H. W. RELY A, residing at North'Adams, in the county of Hillsdale and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Whifiletree-Hooks, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates to whiffletree or trace hooks of that class in which a swinging hook My invention seeks to provide a-d'evice of 1 this character of a very simple and inexpensive nature which can be easily manipulated,

plained.

The inner edge of the body extends forward beyond the socket-i and terminatesin aguidewhich will efiectively serve for its intended purposes and particularly remain in a locked position during the connection therewith of the draft devices, and which can only be moved to an unlocked position by hand manipulation.

My invention therefore consists of a ferrule or other draft-body having a suitable seat or socket, of a hook pivotally'counected there-1 with to swing laterally in the fixed path and having its hinged connection so formed that when moved to a closed position a pull strain thereon will not under any circumstances serve to pull the tongue or guide-lip into contact with the hook-sustaining body-and which when swung outto its open or trace-receiving position will also be held to a limited open movement, whereby the said latch or hook can only be adjusted to the proper opening or closing position.

In' its subordinate features my invention consists in the peculiar combination and novel construction of the several parts forming the complete book, such as will be first described in detail and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 illustrates my improved book as applied to a whiffletree end. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are plan views of my improvement, parts being in section and illustrating the different positions of the hook or latch member, as will hereinafter be more particularly specified. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the same, taken practically on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2 5 and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the body or ferrule member and the body or hook de- 'tached.

In 'the practical construction my improvement comprises a body portion 1, which may be formed with an integral ferrule member 2 or it may be of such shape as to be readily secured to any form of draft member. The

body portion 1 projects at right angles from the ferrule 2, and in its practical use extends in a horizontal plane, its forward portion terminating in bifurcated lips 3, which form the upper and lower portions of the seat or socket 4, the front of which is open, as shown at 4:, and the rear side open at 4*, the inner end and the front side forming closed or abutting members, for the purposes presently exface 5 and a detent or lock-lip 5, the front face of which is curved inward toward the pivotal point of the hook member, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. g

The hook member (3, the peculiar construction of which, in connection with the peculiar form of seat'or socket 4, forms the essential feature of this invention, consists of ahead having a fiat upper and lower face 6 and an opening 6 through which the pivotal lug 7 passes, which lug also passes through suitable apertures in the bifurcated portions 3, as best shown in Fig. 5, said pin being held in place by the lock-nut 7 The rear edge 6 of the hook is made practically square and at right angles to the front flat edge 6. It will be noticed by reference to Figs. 2, 3, andi that the hook is pivoted on the pin 7eccentric and in such manner that when the same is swung to its outer or locked position its cam edge X will engage with the rear wall of the socket a, andthereby hold the said hook from further movement vin the direction indicated by the arrow 1 in and which, it is obvious, would be an objection in that the slightest excessive pull on the hook would tend to bend the front or prong end outward or break the same. Furthermore, by limiting its movement to an open position it will be impossible to so swing the hook that its end will contact with the body 1 or be moved so close thereto as to prevent a ready or free insertion or hooking on of the cockeye or trace.

As a further means of holding the hook to its proper position and preventits being readily thrown open by any back thrust of the cockeye or trace, the forward front edge of the said hook has an approximately convexed concave seat, the con vexed portion 8 of which is ataline to that side of the axis on the hook on which the cam X is formed. By this construction it is obvious should the cockeye or t-race'be thrust backward, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the back pressure exerted thereby on the book would have a tendency to hold the hook firmly in its locked position.

Furthermore, by making the face convexed or beveled toward the lip or projection 5 of the body it is obvious that should the cockeye or trace have a back force in a diagonal direction, asindicated in Fig. 4, the said hook would be deflected to engage with the inner or curved portion of the projection 5, and

thereby be relieved from contact with the hook 6, permit-ting it to maintain its locked or outer position, it being obvious that as the book 6 engages with the body of the device the inward concavity of the end 5 would practically serve to prevent the said cockeye or trace from crowding over to the opening or outlet-channel Z.

In the manipulation of my improvement the operator by pressing on the hook with his fingers in the direction indicated by the arrow 2 opens the channel Z sufficient to permit of the ready insertion of the cockeye or trace 9, it being obvious that by extending the end 6 of the hook so as to lap over the guide-face of the body 1 the insertion of the cockeye or trace will be rendered the more convenient and positive.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be observed the same is of an exceedingly simple nature.

By arranging the hook so as to swing in a fixed horizontal plane and providing means for positivelylimiting the movement thereof in either direction it is obvious that the user can manipulate the hook with the same hand in which he holds the cockeye or trace and that as soon as the cockeye is slipped over the prong end 6" the forward pull on the same will bring it and the hook in a proper position.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An improved whiffletree-hook; comprising a ferrule-body and a guide portion projec'ted at right angles therefrom having its forward end terminating in a flattened socket and a projecting tongue 5, said tongue 5 being on the side of the socket adjacent the hook end; a hook having a flat rear end pivotally held in the aforesaid socket, said flat end having cam-like extensions at diametric ally opposite edges and an abutting portion in the front edge, said abutting portion being to one side of the axis of the hook, whereby back pressure of the cockeye thereagainst will serve to positively hold the hook to its locked position, as specified.

2. The herein-described improved whittletree-hook; comprising a body having a ferrule end and a member projecting at right angles therefrom, having a flat socket in its outer edge and a combined guide and restraining member 5; a hook having a fiat rear end pivotally held in the socket, said end having means for engaging the walls of the socket to limit the lateral swing movement of the hook in either direction said hook having its end 6 normally projected over the end 5, of the body, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

CHAS. H. WV. RELYEA.

Vitnesses A. E. EY-ER, J. M. MARTIN. 

